There’s growing concern around the world about the need to reduce our use of plastic and tackle plastic pollution. But why? And what’s the urgency? Read on for a summary of what plastic is doing to our planet and why we need to act now to change the situation.
What’s the problem with plastic?
A recent survey by All Things Hair revealed that 76.4% of people actively recycle their plastic, while 62.7% of people plan to participate in Plastic Free July this year – an initiative to reduce the amount of plastic people consume and to raise awareness of the importance of doing so.
Why? Because plastic is almost impossible to break down. Plastic items can take upwards of 1,000 years to decompose. And while some plastics can be recycled almost indefinitely, others can only be recycled two or three times.
This means that the plastic we produce ends up in landfill or polluting our countryside and waterways. Scientists believe that there are now 5.25 trillion pieces of micro and macro plastic in our ocean. That’s 46,000 plastic items in every square mile of ocean on Earth.
And the situation is deteriorating rapidly. Every day, a further eight million plastic items end up making their way from land into the ocean. It is believed that there are now 250,000 tonnes of plastic floating on the ocean surface, while a staggering 14 million tonnes are present below the surface. One of the most noticeable areas is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This huge collection of waste measures around 1.6 million square kilometres. That’s larger than the US state of Texas.
At the rate we are polluting our ocean, the damage that we are causing to the marine ecosystems that are essential to all life on Earth, is becoming irreversible.
It’s time to act.
What impact is plastic pollution in the ocean having?
The ocean plays a key role in regulating our climate and in absorbing carbon dioxide. It also serves as the primary protein source for at least a billion people around the world.
Statistics around the impact of plastic on the ocean’s wildlife are truly shocking. Over two-thirds of the fish in the ocean have ingested plastic, while a third of the fish that is caught for humans to eat has plastic in it. Baby sea turtles – all of them – have plastic in their stomachs.
Around the world every year, more than a million seabirds and marine animals die as a result of plastic pollution in our oceans. And plastic’s impact on coral – core to the ocean’s ecosystem, as it supports from than 25% of all marine life – is disastrous. If coral comes into contact with plastic, its chances of becoming diseased increase hugely, from 4% to 89%.
How much plastic are we producing?
The level of plastic that we produce has, obviously, a direct correlation to the amount that finds its way into the natural environment. Around the world, we produce 381 million tonnes of plastic every year. Back in 2010, that figure stood at 270 million tonnes. By 2034, it is projected to reach over 760 million tonnes.
These figures highlight the scale of the problem we are facing – plastic production is increasing incredibly fast, with dire consequences for the world’s oceans. Even more alarming is the fact that 50% of the plastic that we are producing is single-use plastic.
This is why initiatives such as Plastic Free July are so important. Even if everybody recycles as much plastic as possible, the amount of plastic that is being produced – and that cannot be broken down – is increasing incredibly fast. The only answer is to slow the demand for plastic in the first place. And time is running out.
What action do we need to take to tackle plastic production?
There are plenty of steps that we can take to try and slow the rate at which we are producing plastic. As individuals, we can make conscious choices when it comes to plastic free products. Doing so might take a little more effort, but once you start looking at how to shop plastic free, you might be surprised by the amount of resources available to you.
The small seaside town that I live in is a great example of this. It’s a little town, yet there’s an eco-shop that provides everything from plastic free cleaning products to weighed out baking ingredients that you take your own containers for. There’s also a shop selling shower gels, shampoos, body lotion and the like that you take your own bottles and containers for.
Then there are the conscious choices that you can make when it comes to groceries. Taking your own bags for fruit and vegetables is the most obvious example, but you can also take your own bread bag for loaves from the bakery, choose boxed products instead of those in plastic containers, opt for glass bottles instead of plastic and much more. Once you begin thinking through each purchase, it becomes easier and easier to get into the plastic free mindset.
There’s also important work to be done in spreading the word about the importance of reducing our rate plastic production. Tell your friends. Share articles like this on social media. Lobby manufacturers and retailers, adding your voice to those already calling for them to cut plastic out of their packaging.
Some retailers are already taking action. McDonalds has ceased using plastic toys in its Happy Meals and is now providing card straws with drinks. It has further to go, particularly around the use of plastic-coated drink containers with plastic lids, but it’s at least a start. The more pressure we can apply, the better.
Only by collectively understanding the importance of reducing plastic production and supporting efforts to clean up our waterways and prevent plastic from entering them can we make a difference. We have one planet, so we need to act as one in order to preserve it. The lives of future generations are at stake. Make a difference today.
